How to Make a Square Decorative Pillow

There are a number of ways to decorate a pillow once you have finished sewing.

Decorative pillows add color, texture and softness to nearly any decorating style and are one of the easiest ways to enhance your room. They can be very expensive, however, so you might want to try your hand at sewing your own. Making a cover for a plain, square pillow form is one of the easiest sewing projects that you can do, but if you don't have a lot of experience with sewing, you may want a little guidance to ensure that your work turns out just as beautifully as you've envisioned.

Closures

Before you start buying fabric and sewing your pillowcase, decide how you'd like to enclose the pillow in the case. For instance, you can create a sort of "envelope," in which two flaps at the back of the pillow overlap and the pillow slides between. This is one of the easiest methods and makes it easy to take the pillow out, but requires extra fabric for the flaps. You can also make a flap that buttons closed, and the button itself can be a decoration. Zippers are a little tricky to sew tidily, but are a nice option that enables you to take the pillow out for washing and can be almost invisible against the other seams on the pillow. You can also sew the pillowcase closed around the pillow, which has a tidy look but makes it difficult to take the pillow out for cleaning.

Size

Measure your pillow form before purchasing any fabric. As an example, if you have a 14-inch-square pillow, you'll need 14 inches for the front and 14 inches for the back, but you'll also need some extra room for seams. Although you can work with a minimum 1/4 inch on all sides, 1/2-inch seams are easier to work with, especially if you want to put trim between the seams. This means that you'll need two pieces of fabric 15 inches square, one for the front and the other for the back of the pillow. If you are making a closure that requires a flap or an overlap, you'll need several extra inches of fabric to ensure that you have enough fabric for the flap as well as to hem the flap to prevent fraying. It's better to have too much fabric than too little, and you should always wash fabric before sewing, because it may shrink slightly when you wash it.

Fabric

Bolts of fabric are typically either 45 or 60 inches wide. Check the width on the end of the bolt before determining how much fabric you need. Fabric is sold by the yard; a half yard is plenty for many standard square decorative pillow forms. The fabric itself can be the major decorative aspect of the pillow. If you are decorating a fairly plain piece of furniture, ornate fabric will add interest, but if the furniture itself is elaborate, a plain fabric will add color without being overwhelming. Some fabrics are easier to work with than others. For instance, many upholstery fabrics and brocades fray easily, making them tough to sew. Most cottons and broadcloths are good choices for a beginner; they come in a wide variety of colors and patterns and are fairly forgiving. If you do want to use an expensive or elaborate fabric, it's a good idea to purchase a less expensive fabric, such as muslin, and sew it into a pillowcase first. This gives you a "practice run" to make sure that all of your measurements and techniques are correct and will work when you use the more expensive fabric.

Trim

There are many choices for trim, including cords, ribbons, laces and fringe. If you want to put trim around the outside of your pillow, the best method is to sew the trim between the two squares of fabric that form the front and back. The patterned or "right" side of the squares must face together with the edge of the trim sandwiched between them. The attractive part of the trim will be inside of the pillow while you sew. You can also sew trim across the face of the pillow. There are many other ways to add decorations, however. For instance, iron-on crystals are simple to apply to your fabric and add some glitter and sparkle to your work. Appliques can be iron-on or sew-on and can enhance a theme in a room; for instance, if you have a lot of flowers, a floral applique in the middle of a plain pillowcase adds to the decor in a pleasant and subtle way. If you're more used to painting than sewing, choose from the large variety of fabric paints and markers to create custom patterns and designs.